Fisheries and Aquaculture
March 20, 2014
The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture:
Provincial Delegation Attends Seafood Expo North America
I rise in this Honourable House to discuss the success of the provincial delegation that attended Seafood Expo North America in Boston from March 13 to 18.
Mr. Speaker, this expo is one of the largest seafood trade events in the world, involving 19,000 industry representatives from more than 100 countries. In addition to facilitating hundreds of international trade opportunities for provincial seafood companies, the expo also provided the opportunity to engage my federal and provincial fisheries counterparts and various industry leaders on matters of mutual concern. Participants including Ocean Choice International, the Fogo Island Co-op, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, and Green’s Seafoods all noted the tremendous networking and new business relationships made possible by the expo, and expressed appreciation for the support they received at the Provincial Government’s Newfoundland and Labrador pavilion.
The Provincial Government released its Seafood Industry Year in Review document prior to the expo so national and international buyers could access vital statistics regarding the performance of the provincial seafood industry. I am pleased to note that our province continued to be a strong competitor in global seafood markets in 2013. Provincial seafood is exported to more than 40 countries, and the total value of provincial seafood production increased by eight per cent from the previous year to approximately $1.1 billion. The gains this government achieved through CETA negotiations, as well as the recent trade agreement between Canada and the Republic of Korea, will create tremendous new opportunity to grow business in new markets and add value to the industry. Combining these trade achievements with this government’s ongoing investments in research and development, science, marketing, and quality control, will position the provincial fishing and aquaculture sectors to build on this success in the years to come.
Seafood industry representatives throughout the world learned a great deal about our province’s fishing and aquaculture sectors during Seafood Expo North America, and I encourage people in this province to do the same by reviewing the Seafood Industry Year in Review. Working collaboratively with industry, we are securing a strong future for our fishing and aquaculture sectors, and creating benefits for rural families and communities.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
2014 03 20 1:55 p.m.